Album Review: Birds Of Tokyo - 'This Fire'

Birds Of Tokyo, the more commercially successful and appealing project from Karnivool front man Ian Kenny, have obviously realised that now is the time to change things up a bit. Hence why we are now privy to the new four track EP ‘This Fire’, which may surprise some who think they know what to expect from the band.

The opening and title track is close to the sounds the group have produced in the past, albeit on the softer end of the spectrum. Minimalist verses driven by a pounding beat and Kenny’s devilishly hooky melodies, which open up to a marching and repetitive chorus which will become extremely annoying after a few listens. That aside, the track is a clear radio winner, no doubt its intention, so expect to hear plenty more of it.

The other songs on the EP however are where the band shine, opting to stay at the fairly mellow end of their scale. 'Glowing In The Streets' is driven by bass, fuzzy synths and of course, those catchy melodies. Kenny has a brilliant voice, no doubt about it, but has he oversaturated himself fronting two of the most popular rock acts in the country? That may be one of the reasons for the more prominent use of vocal effects on the tracks here.

'Boy' is another quiet moment, backed by keys and guitar noises rather than riffs that slowly build in a solemn state, letting light crack through the clouds near its end. The EP closer 'The Lake' is another to feature keys as its main instrument following a similar approach and structure to the rest of the EP, keeping things relatively low key and attempting to be a U2, stadium style ballad.

The ‘This Fire’ EP seems like a more mature approach to song-writing from Birds Of Tokyo, like some sort of warning that fans should expect the next full length to be significantly different to the band’s past releases and should be eased into the change with the new songs. Regardless, this will certainly hold the attention of the people who may have been waning.

1. This Fire

2. Glowing In The Streets

3. Boy

4. The Lake